Bow: Right, so, this IS my first fanfic, so I would ask that all of you
please give me some slack. Also, there may or may not be lemon scenes, I'm
not sure yet. But, I will give you a warning before any lemon scenes begin,
if there is a said lemon scene.

Dragon: *Growls* You better have lemon scenes!

Bow: You're a dragon! Why would you like lemon scenes?!

Dragon: I-I'm thinking about the fans! *flushes*

~*~*~

"Why isn't that little shit awake yet!!!"

"Leave Yugi out of this, Byono! He's exhausted from what you did to him
last night! Why do you have to beat him so much?!"

"Because that bastard is good for nothing else, Siulin! He can't even wake
up on time to get to school!"

"He would be on time if you didn't hurt him!"

Tears rolled down Yugi's face as he lay in bed, trying his hardest to hide
his face in his pillow. A scream of pain came to his ears; Byono had struck
Siulin, his mother. Yugi could shrink no farther into his bed then he
already was, so he covered his ears with his hands, but he could still hear
the screams and shouts from the next room. He had to get out of bed before
his father found him, or he would be beaten again.

Yugi slid out of bed painfully, bruises inflicted the night before aching.
He let a gasp of pain slip past his lips as he pulled his pajamas over his
head as he changed into his blue school uniform. He was thankful for the
long sleeves of the jacket, as they served to cover the bruises on his
arms. He also had on what almost looked like a thick dog collar around his
throat. That had a more practical use then as a fashion statement; it was
the only thing that hid the bruises on his neck. It was still dark outside.
School wouldn't start for another two hours. He heard the yelling in the
other room growing louder. Byono would be coming into his room soon. Yugi
snatched up his backpack, pulling it onto his back with a hiss of pain. His
hands reached for the window, lifting the latch and opening it. The door to
Yugi's room burst open as he slipped out of the window just before Byono
saw him. He could hear his mother's quiet sigh of relief and the sound of
his father's hand striking Siulin's face. Yugi winced, tears collecting in
his eyes as he ran down the street, away from his home.

~*~*~

Yugi slipped into the school silently, looking around to make sure that he
hadn't been followed. There were many bullies that liked to pick on him,
and he never knew if any of them had found out that he arrived at school so
early. Yugi made his way stealthily to his safe haven; the boy's bathroom.
He didn't know why he felt safe there, but the small, enclosed stalls
provided a small feeling of security. Yugi locked himself in the stall
farthest from the door, panting heavily. He sunk down to the floor, his
back against the wall as he set his backpack down next to him. His head
leaned back against the cold tile wall, his violet eyes closing as he
forced his breathing to slow.

He reached down to his back pocket pulling something out of it; his dueling
deck. He had never dueled anyone since his Grandpa had died, and he
cherished the deck above all else. It was filled with his most loved
monsters, and all of them were his close friends. But, there was one that
he cared about more then all the others; his favorite card, the Dark
Magician. He pulled the card out of his deck, the image of the Dark
Magician on the top of the card. He was clad in dark purple, and his
amethyst-colored hair spilled over his shoulders as he gripped his staff
tightly in his hand.

"Hyoui," Yugi whispered to the card.

The card glowed faintly for a brief moment, and the picture of the Dark
Magician disappeared. Yugi looked up in the bathroom stall, his eyes
falling upon the comforting form of the Dark Magician who had come from the
card. He had never known why he was able to summon the monsters from the
cards, but he knew that he had to keep the ability a secret. He didn't know
what would happen if anyone found out.

"Yugi-sama. Are you all right? Is something wrong?" Hyoui asked the boy
worriedly, leaning his staff against the wall of the stall and crouching
down so that he was resting on his knees in front of Yugi.

"Hyoui," Yugi sobbed, crawling into the Dark Magician's lap and weeping
into his shoulder.

He put his arms comfortingly around Yugi, holding him close to his body as
the small boy sobbed and hiccupped. "Yugi-sama. He hurt you again, didn't
he?"

Yugi nodded, his sobs quieting slowly as his arms went around the
magician's neck.

Hyoui rubbed Yugi's back lightly, so as not to bother the numerous bruises
that were there. He murmured softly into Yugi's ear, trying to comfort his
master. "Yugi-sama, you need to leave that place. You risk your life every
day you stay there," Hyoui told him.

"B-but Mother," Yugi hiccupped.

Hyoui sighed sadly. The only thing keeping Yugi in his home was his mother.
He couldn't just leave her with his father. Every day, Hyoui tried to tell
him to leave, and every day Yugi refused. Even Yugi's other most loyal
monsters agreed with Hyoui, but they knew that Yugi would never leave his
mother.

Yugi's sobs slowly subsided, and he slid off of Hyoui's lap, drying his
tears on his sleeve. Yugi turned to his backpack, unzipping it and
rummaging through the contents.

"Which game do you want to play today, Yugi-sama?" Hyoui asked him as Yugi
pushed other small games aside inside of his backpack.

"I still haven't been able to solve this puzzle," Yugi mumbled, pulling out
a small golden box.

Hyoui raised an eyebrow. "That puzzle, Yugi-sama? You've tried putting that
one together for the past seven years."

Yugi nodded. "I know, Hyoui. I want to solve it. I remember that Grandpa
said that whoever solved it would get one wish."

"And what would you wish for, Yugi-sama?" The Dark Magician asked with a
faint smile.

"Someone to help me, a friend," Yugi murmured.

"But, you have me," Hyoui told the boy.

"I know, Hyoui, and you are the best friend I could ask for, but you cannot
protect me, no matter how much you want to and I want you to. If anyone
found out about you and my powers." Yugi whispered sadly.

Hyoui nodded gravely, having gone silent.

"But, maybe you can help me with the puzzle?"

The Dark Magician looked over at Yugi, smiling weakly. The small boy knew
how to lift anyone's spirits. He was so innocent, which was astonishing
given the lifestyle he lived. He nodded. "Of course, Yugi-sama."

~*~*~

Yugi stared down at the half-finished puzzle intently. Hyoui had returned
to the Shadow Realm, Yugi having gradually lost too much spiritual energy
to sustain him in his world. Yugi's head shot up as he heard the morning
bell ring, signaling the start of his first class of the day. He
reluctantly slipped the half-finished puzzle inside the box it came in,
sliding the box into his backpack and rushing out of the boy's bathroom and
to his first class. His backpack hit his back painfully as he ran, but he
ran straight into a tall girl with brown hair. She turned, looking down at
Yugi, who had fallen backwards with the impact.

"Anzu?" Yugi asked her, rubbing his cloudy eyes. He had been focused on
that puzzle for far too long.

"Yugi, you better hurry! We're going to be late for first period!" She
exclaimed, helping Yugi to his feet and pulling him to their first class.

"O-okay Anzu," he said shakily, letting her half drag him to their class.

~*~*~

The bell for lunch rang, and everyone filed out of the small classroom, all
except for Yugi. He sat at his desk sadly, resting his cheek on his crossed
arms, which were on his desk. His teacher, Mrs. Asimaya, gave him a weak
smile and walked out of the room. Every day Yugi would stay in her
classroom and eat his lunch, playing with some small toys he had stashed
away in his backpack. She knew that he was picked on by bullies, and let
him stay inside away from the others.

Yugi pulled out the golden box once more, opening the lid and lifting the
half-finished puzzle out of it. He set back to work on the golden puzzle,
eyes locked on the glittering pieces. He needed to finish it. If he was to
get his friend and protector, he HAD to finish it.

"Only three more pieces to go." Yugi whispered, eyes wide.

"YUGI MOTOU!!!"

Yugi's head shot up in horror. No! It was one of the bullies. He could
recognize that voice anywhere. He snatched up his things, looking around
for somewhere to hide. He was panicked. What was he going to do?! He was
just outside Mrs. Asimaya's room, and Yugi had to hide before he came in!
His eyes found a small door, and he ran over to it, pulling it open. A
closet! It had Mrs. Asimaya's supplies for the class in it, but there was
enough room for him to crawl into. He closed the door behind him with a
small click, eyes peering out of the metal vent in the bottom of the door.

Yugi took in a sharp breath, looking down at the puzzle in his hands. The
more he thought about the bully, the more panicked he got. He needed to
take his mind off of it or his involuntary whimpers would be heard by the
older boy outside the closet. He looked at the last few remaining pieces in
the shafts of light that came through the vent. He knew where they should
go! He inserted two of the three pieces, and then looked down at the last
one. It had an eye on it, and Egyptian eye. He slid it carefully into
place, and a bright light filled the closet. Yugi shielded his eyes from
the light, blinking away the spots in front his face as the light
disappeared.

"What the hell?!" Came the bully's voice.

Yugi trembled, looking out of the vent at the feet that approached.

"Who are you? Did you solve the Millennium Puzzle?"

Yugi's eyes shot up towards the voice that came from above him, inside the
closet. There, sitting on a stack of boxes, was a boy, older then himself,
but he looked almost identical to him! Though, he seemed taller, and there
was more gold in his hair. Was this his protector? His friend?

"My name is Yami. Why are you so afraid?" The boy whispered back to Yugi.

"He's going to hurt me," Yugi cringed, eyes flashing over to the vents.

Yami looked down at the trembling boy, his heart wrenching as he watched
Yugi cower even farther into the boxes by his sides. This boy seemed so
frail, so innocent; a prime target for those who took pleasure in
tormenting the weak.

"Where are you, Yugi?" The bully said almost sweetly, looking around the
empty classroom.

"Yugi?" Yami murmured. "Are you, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded, a single tear falling down his cheek.

"Do not worry, Yugi, I will help you," Yami told him, eyes flashing with
rage at the thought of ANYONE hurting this small boy.

"Thank you, Yami-san," Yugi whimpered.

Yami jumped down from the boxes, landing next to the cowering form of Yugi.
He reached out to the door handle and opened it, making sure that when he
exited the closet that Yugi couldn't be seen.

The bully turned. He was much taller then Yami, and his bulk was almost
double his size. "Yugi, there you are. Ready for your daily pounding?" The
bully asked, smirking.

Yami's eyes narrowed as he walked out of the closet, closing the door
behind him. He held out his hand, which started to glow with dark energy.
"Mind crush!" He bellowed.

The bully screamed, but that soon died off as the boy's soul left for the
Shadow Realm. The bully's body crumpled to the floor in a heap, his face
frozen in a scream of horror. With a flick of his wrist, Yami made the body
vanish, leaving no evidence behind to what had happened to the boy.

Yugi emerged from the closet slowly, his backpack on his back and the
finished Millennium Puzzle in his cupped hands. "Wh-what happened to him,
Yami-san?"

Yami turned, his eyes softening at the sight of the small boy. "He will
never hurt you again Yugi."

Yugi slipped off his backpack and laid the puzzle on top of it, running to
Yami and throwing his arms around his protector. Yami stared down at the
small boy in shock, but then hugged the small form to him. Yugi cried out
in pain, and Yami released him immediately.

"Yugi? What is it?" Yami asked him worriedly as the young boy backed away
from him.

"I-it's nothing," Yugi gasped. He couldn't let anyone know about what his
father did to him. Then he would be taken away from his mother too.

Yami stepped closer to him. "Yugi, something is wrong. Why did you cry out
in pain?"

"N-nothing Yami-san!" Yugi blurted out.

"Let me help-"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Yugi gasped in horror as Hyoui appeared in front of him, brandishing his
staff and pointing it at Yami's face. Yami took a step backwards, his eyes
wide as he stared up at the form of the Dark Magician.

"Hyoui! No!" Yugi cried out. "You're not supposed to be seen!"

"Yugi? You have Shadow Powers?" Yami asked incredulously.

"Stay away from Yugi-sama!" Hyoui growled at Yami.

"I will not hurt him, Dark Magician," Yami told the monster, crimson eyes
staring up at the tall form. "I only want to know why he was in pain."

Yami looked over at the Dark Magician. "I was locked inside the Millennium
Puzzle, Dark Magician. Yugi set me free, and I will do anything I can to
help him."

Hyoui took in a deep breath, looking over to Yami. "Then I hope that you
can help Yugi-sama more then we can," Hyoui told him, disappearing back
into his card.

Yami looked down at Yugi, smiling. "So, you have Shadow Powers," he
murmured.

"What?" Yugi asked quietly.

"You can summon the monsters from the cards," Yami explained.

Yugi burst into tears. "P-please! Yami-san! Please don't tell anyone!" He
begged, clutching the sides of Yami's jacket, which was identical to his
own.

"Don't worry, Yugi. I will not tell anyone. I am here to protect you," Yami
told him, wiping the tears from his angelic face. "If telling anyone about
your abilities will endanger your life, then no one will ever know."

"Now, will you please tell me why you are in pain, Yugi?" Yami pleaded,
kneeling down so that he was looking up at the small boy.

~*~*~

Dragon: Oh, that was just evil!

Bow: Oh shut up! They can found out how pissed Yami gets in the next
chapter.

Dragon: Ah! No spoilers! I'll take SSJ Sky's idea and bring in a Spoiler
sensor!

Bow: Ah! No! I'll stop!

Dragon: *snickers*

Bow: Wheeeee! R/R!

Dragon: What the HELL was that?!

Bow: I wheeed!

Dragon: Kill me. ..

Random Dragonslayer: That can be arranged! *pokes Dragon with pointy stick*
I shall vanquish thee!

Dragon: *blinks. Then eats him*

Bow: x.x Remind me never to piss you off ..

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.